Improvement in fences



2 Sheena-Sheet ,JOHN noHR'E-R.

Improvement in Fences.

NO. 118,156. E le" Patented August 15, 1871.

2 Sheets--Sheet y JOHN ROHRER.

Improvementy in Fences.

N0. 118,156. l Patented August 15, 187i.

f-ff f -fr im; azz/y fr l A PATENT CFFIGE.

JOHN ROHRER, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN FENCES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 118,156, dated August15, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN ROHRER, of the city of Springfield, in thecounty of Clark and State of Ohio, have invented certain Improvements inIron Fences and in Fences of Iron and Wood combined, of which thefollowing is a specification:

My invention relates to the construction of fences having the rails andposts of angle-shaped rolled iron. Its novelty consists in using thesame iron for posts and rails, and in the manner of attaching thesetogether. The rails and posts are of uniform size, and the posts aredoubled and bolted together. The ends ofthe rails are split and turnedback at an angle to receive the bolt, which fastens this part to theposts and also the posts to each other at the ends of the sections. Theobject of my invention is to secure greatest strength with least amountof material, and, by making the posts and rails of uniform size, toduplicate the parts without waste of metal. The manner of connecting thesections also facilitates rapid construction.

Figure l is a front elevation of a fence embody'- ing my invention. Fig.2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the fence shownin Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of a subsection of a fence inwhich the rails are pierced with upright rods. Fig. 5 is a rearelevation of a subsection of a fence in which iron palings or picketsare used; in this figure one of the double posts is shown. Fig. 6 showsa cross-section of rail or post, (size of iron being the same 5) also asection of rail with the end split and partially turned back, as informing the angle to fit this part to its post. Fig. 7 shows doubleangles formed on the end of each of the rails which are attached to thedouble post, bolts and nuts being used to secure them together.

In Figs. l, 2, and 3, sheet l, a represents the rails 5 b and b b', theposts; d, the palings, which, in these figures, are of wood. The post atthe corner on the left in Fig. 1 cannot be seen from the front, as thecorner palings cover it. The palings, when made of wood, m'ay befastened on the rails either by wood-screws passing only partly throughthem from the back of the rails, or they may be fastened on by smallbolts. b b on the right shows the doubled post from the joining of anadditional section. Lugs c on the ends of the rails a are turned back ata right angle to fit against the inner side of post b b', bolts passingthrough both lugs and post securing the whole firmly together. Inaddition to this they are further secured by bolts or rivets passingthrough the rails and posts from front to rear, as seen at e in figureson sheet 1. I do not claim this latter mode of fastening separately. Bis the base on which the fence rests. The posts are let into this,(which may be either of wood or stone,) and from their peculiar shapethey stand very iirmly. With the exception of the corner posts, I preferdoubling the posts and bolting them together in the manner shown, as thefence is much stronger when built in this way and the sections are muchmore readily put together. Either rivets or bolts may be used for thispurpose. The rails of my fence are adapted to wooden or metal palings orrods. It can be proportioned to any size required. Gates can also bemade in the same manner as the fence-sections, and will require no otherhinges than a turn-bolt pierced through the rail to swing on, the holein the rail forming the eye for the rod.

In Fig. 4 a corner post, b, is shown, the rails a being fastened to itonly by one bolt, which passes through the lug c, which is turnedupward. In connecting the other section, which forms the corner, theends of the rails are slipped one under the other and bolted togetherthrough the railcaps. (See left hand of Fig. 2.) In using short poststhe lugs may be turned down.

In Fig. 5 part of a section is shown (with its post connections) havingmetal palings. The rails in this figure are fastened to the posts in thesame manner as shown in Fig. 3, which have wooden palings. The part-zofthe rail a', seen in Fig. 6, can be either turned backward and boltedto the side of post below the other lug, c, or cut off after the part cis bent back to form the angle.

In Fig. 7 the part z' is shown turned back laterally and bolted to thepost b, the ends of the rails a in this figure being attached to post bb by two lugs instead of one, as seen in preceding iigures. This mannerof attaching the rail ends gives nearly double the strength to thispart, and for inclosures where the strongest possible fenceis requiredthis mode of fastening will be preferred. In this figure the rails andposts are connected by bolts and nuts c.

Any ordinary blacksmith, when supplied with the angle-iron for posts andrails, can readily make this fence, and even persons unskilled in theart can easily put it together; hence its ad- Secured together bysplitting and turning back vantage over fences requiring skilledWorkmana portion ofthe rc ils, as shown, and then boltnig ship in theirconstruction. them to the posts, substantially as and for the I do notclaim the use of :ingle-iron for rails purpose set forth.

for felices, as the same has been before used 5 but 4 JOHN ROHRER.

That I claim as my invention is- Vtnesses: rlhe rails a a and posts band b', construe-ted B. C. CONVERSE,

of angle-shaped rolled iron of uniform size, and GEO. H. EARNEST.

